Prologue

“Those who answered my call, welcome.”

I’m enveloped by a bright light, and when I’m able to see again, I’m in a place I’ve never seen before. I was on the train on my way to high school, but what is this place?

In front of me is an old man that looks like a king, and he’s trembling with excitement as he opens his arms widely in an exaggerated manner.

Around him are a portly middle-aged man with a beard and people wearing armor who I assume are knights. The knights are lined-up to the left and right and are looking this way cautiously.

And around me, are people wearing the same type of clothes as me. Boys and girls wearing school uniforms, suits, and casual clothing. There are seven of us, three boys and four girls.

Everyone seems confused, and some look worried.

I don’t remember answering anyone’s call in the first place, you summoned us all on your own. The reason why is still a mystery.

“Where are we? And who are you?”

Someone wearing a school uniform steps forward and asks.

One of the knights is about to make a move, but the old man raises his hand and stops him.

“This is the Kingdom of Elesya, and I am its king. We have summoned you here by way of an otherworldly summoning passed down in our kingdom.”

He tells us a long and boring story.

Basically, summoned heroes receive the blessing that is excellent skills, and they want us to use them to defeat the revived demon king.

The student asks if defeating said demon king will let us return to our original world, and apparently that’s possible if we use the demon king’s magic stone.

I say apparently, because they make it very clear that they have only read in books that other heroes managed to go home.

“Well then heroes. Chant status open, and show us your powers!”

I hear people whisper status open, and I do the same.

A transparent panel appears in front of me, and it shows me stats like in a game.

Name – (Sora Fujimiya) Job – (Jobless) No Level

HP – 10/10 MP – 10/10

Strength…1 Stamina…1 Agility…1

Magic power…1 Dexterity…1 Luck…1

Skill – (Walking) Effect – (User won’t get tired no matter how much they walk)

So I’m a weak character. Can I even beat the weakest monsters?

I was a student in that other world, but now I’m jobless. Is it because I didn’t do anything?

And what does no level even mean?

“Are you done checking? If so, touch this crystal one at a time.”

An old man wearing a robe that’s standing next to the king points to a crystal on an extravagant pedestal.

If you touch this crystal, everyone else can see your stats.

Everyone goes up to it and touches it, one by one.

The king, the old man, and everyone around them cheer every time.

(Master Swordsman), (Sorcerer King), (Paladin), (Saint), (Sword King), (Spirit Mage)…

There are murmurs about those jobs, and people also sound surprised about their owners’ levels.

The highest one is level fifty, and the lowest is level thirty.

Everyone has multiple skills too. You have five skills? What are you a hero? I say to myself without even thinking. Reality is always harsh…

The multiple eyes pointed my way with high expectations hurt, but I can’t run away, so I take a few steps, and then resign myself and touch the crystal.

There’s something that sounds like static for a second, before my status panel is shown to everyone else like all the others.

Everyone is at a loss for words, even the ones who were summoned here like me.

It’s like the wave of excitement is subsiding.

“What are these status and skills!?”

Don’t ask me! I demand a redo.

The noise of people talking gets louder, and just as my weakness is about to break my heart, I see a line in the status panel I didn’t see before.

Skill – (Walking) Effect – (User won’t get tired no matter how much they walk) – (Get one experience point with each step)

Experience points – 21/1000

But when I look at the panel being displayed by the crystal, that line isn’t there.

Can I level up just by walking… But if I don’t have a level, what are these experience points for?

But still, that experience counter doesn’t show zero, it shows twenty one.

Did it count the steps I took towards the crystal?

I don’t remember how many steps I took, but that seems about right.

As I think about this, I realize that suddenly everyone is quiet.

I raise my head, look towards the king, and he turns away.

Then I turn to the old man in the robe, and he does the same.

“Yes. It seems we have managed to summon six chosen heroes. Let us have a banquet to celebrate! This way, heroes!”

I guess I don’t count.

The people summoned along with me look awkward, turn away, or look concerned, but in the end, they’re all taken away.

They have good jobs and high levels, fighting skills to survive, but they lived in a society where they didn’t need fighting techniques. They have no choice but to obey when they’re surrounded by armed knights.

One knight stays behind with me, and says ‘come’ quietly before walking off without waiting for a response.

As I expected, he’s taking me outside the castle.

We reach the gate, and another knight throws me a bag with gold coins as a parting gift. I open the bag to check, and see two gold coins.

It really feels like there should be more considering the bag’s size. Isn’t two too little anyway?

I look at the knights, and see them grinning like they’re making fun of me.

As I think about how apparently there are idiots in every world, I figure it doesn’t matter since I’m probably never going to see them again anyway, and head towards town.